UK ready for “direct action” against Houthi rebels

2024-01-01 12:41:00

[Article publié lundi 1er janvier 2024 et mis à jour à 15h55]

Context still tense in the Red Sea at the start of the year. This Monday, the United Kingdom, through its British Defense Minister Grant Shapps, said “ ready to take direct action » once morest the Houthi rebels of Yemen, who are increasing attacks in the Red Sea once morest merchant ships. The minister spoke in a column published in the British newspaper Daily Telegraph.

In this column entitled “ We must protect the Red Sea “, Grant Shapps therefore asserts that the United Kingdom is ” ready to take direct action » once morest the Houthi rebels. « We will not hesitate to take further action once morest threats to freedom of navigation in the Red Sea », he continues, recalling that HMS Diamond has already shot down an attack drone targeting commercial shipping. The rebel attacks constitute “ a test for the international community “, says Grant Shapps.

Increasingly high tension in the area

As a reminder, the United Kingdom, which is part of the international coalition created to confront Houthi attacks in the Red Sea, sent the British destroyer HMS Diamond to the region in mid-December. These warnings from London come as tension continues to rise in the Red Sea, through which 12% of world trade passes.

US Navy sinks three Houthi boats attacking container ship in Red Sea

On Sunday, the US military said it had sunk three Houthi ships following attacks on a container ship from the Danish carrier Maersk. Ten rebels were killed in this strike, according to a spokesperson for the movement. The day before, a US destroyer shot down two anti-ship ballistic missiles fired from Yemen while responding to a distress call from a container ship hit in another attack, the military said.

Danish shipping giant suspends transit once more

The Danish maritime transport giant Maersk announced this Sunday that it would suspend the transit of its fleet through a strategic strait in the Red Sea for 48 hours, following the attack by Yemen’s Houthi rebels once morest one of its ships. The Maersk container ship “Hangzhou” reported having been hit by a missile while passing through the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, then being attacked by four Houthi rebel ships trying to board.

Iran’s shadow behind the Houthis

Since the start of the war on October 7 between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, the Houthis, who control a large part of Yemen and are close to Iran, have increased attacks in the Red Sea once morest ships they consider ” related to Israel », in solidarity with the Palestinian territory, bombed and besieged by Israel. Iran is accused of helping Yemeni rebels carry out these attacks, but the Islamic Republic has always denied providing them with military equipment.

Red Sea: United States accuses Iran of being “very involved in planning” Houthi attacks

This Sunday, British Foreign Minister David Cameron said he had spoken with his Iranian counterpart, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, regarding the Houthi attacks. which threaten innocent lives and the international economy ». « I made it clear that Iran bears its share of responsibility for preventing these attacks, given its long-standing support for the Houthis. “, wrote David Cameron on the subject on the social network X.

The conflict will continue in 2024 according to Israel

For their part, the Israeli authorities warned this Monday morning that the war once morest Hamas in the Gaza Strip would continue. all along » of the year 2024, following a New Year’s night marked by incessant strikes on the besieged Palestinian territory, and rocket fire on Tel Aviv. According to a latest count, 21,822 people, mostly women, adolescents and children, have been killed since the start of this war.

Iranian military ship enters Red Sea

An Iranian warship, the “Alborz”, entered the Red Sea through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, local media reported on Monday followingnoon. “ The destroyer Alborz entered the Red Sea (…) passing through Bab el-Mandeb », which separates the Arabian Peninsula from Africa, indicated the Tasnim news agency, which did not specify the reasons for this deployment. The Iranian fleet operates in the area “ since 2009, to secure shipping lanes and repel pirates, among other things “, she clarified.

As a reminder, in 2021, this building repelled a pirate attack on two oil tankers in the Gulf of Aden. In 2015, it was one of two Iranian warships sent to the strait. to ensure the safety of commercial vessels “, which was seen at the time as a sign of tensions with Saudi Arabia.